A Vatican official is criticizing cancer patient Brittany Maynard's decision to end her life.
The 29-year-old Maynard died on Saturday using an Oregon law that lets terminally ill people use lethal medications prescribed by a doctor. Maynard moved from California to Oregon because of the state's law.
On Tuesday, the Vatican's top bioethics official cautioned that he was not judging anyone. But he said Maynard's act is "in itself reprehensible" and the gesture should be "condemned."
A board member of the Portland-based advocacy group Compassion & Choices, Rev. Dr. Ignacio Castuera, responded that Maynard was not Catholic and it would be wrong to impose a set of religious beliefs on people who do not share them.
© Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.